IFA Conservation Center Launches First Ever MA/MS Dual Degree Program

In recognition of the substantial role that science plays in educating and training students of art conservation, the NYU Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) has been accredited by the New York State Board of Education to award students in its conservation program the degree of Master of Science in Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.

In recognition of the substantial role that science plays in educating and training students of art conservation, the NYU Institute of Fine Arts (IFA) has been accredited by the New York State Board of Education to award students in its conservation program the degree of Master of Science in Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Conservation Center students, who receive full scholarships and are required to concurrently pursue a Master of Arts degree in art history, previously earned an Advanced Certificate.

The new dual degree program is the first of its kind in the United States, further enhancing the 55-year old Conservation Center’s reputation as a leading center for training some of the world’s most influential figures in art conservation. Graduates continue their work at some of the world’s leading art institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the American Museum of Natural History, MIT, Princeton, the Library of Congress, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

“During the past six decades our graduates have become leaders in the field. They are employed across the United States and internationally, in major and mid-sized museums, as well as smaller institutions, and in private practice,” said Hannelore Roemich, Chairman and Professor of Conservation Science at the IFA. “The new dual degree is a fitting acknowledgement of the strength of the program since its inception and will continue to provide the excellent launch for Conservation Center graduates into the profession.”

Patricia Rubin, Judy and Michael Steinhardt Director, said, “Upholding its tradition of excellence in education, the Conservation Center will continue to train today’s conservators through our time-tested, but constantly evolving, course of studies. The Conservation Center plays a leading role in the field by offering our students the technical, scientific, ethical, and art historical expertise, as well as the collaborative skills, they will need to grapple with current and future challenges in conservation.”

The MS and MA dual degree will be effective for the fall 2015 incoming class. Five students have passed the rigorous selection process and will be challenged with merging art history and science during the next four years of their study at the IFA.

The Institute of Fine Arts is an international leader in research and graduate teaching, and committed to global engagement and advancing the fields of art history, archaeology, and the theory and practice of conservation. New York City, with its incomparable resources and vitality, provides a backdrop and extended campus for the IFA’s activities. Work takes place on-site and beyond our walls through fieldwork, off-site teaching, cultural advocacy, and curatorial and conservation collaborations.